social media engagement report

PRESENTED BY

HIGHER ED

| 2Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

Does that conversation sound like your office on a

Monday morning? It’s easy to point the finger at the

issue, but how do you make it better?

We want to help you solve the engagement puzzle, so

we partnered with the makers of a digital marketing

competitive analysis software called Rival IQ. We’ve

found great value in their software that provides

competitive analysis & insights to marketers.

Rival IQ used their software to gather a plethora of

useful data about higher ed institutions all across

the country, and this report is the result of our

forces combined. Its mission: to provide you with

valuable insights about the schools that are crushing

engagement in higher ed, and provide you examples

to follow. First, a look at the methods and background

behind the data.

“We have plenty of followers and fans on our social channels, but why aren’t they liking or sharing our content? Are we posting into a vacuum? And why do our competitors' accounts seem to blow up when they post?”

Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report | 3

methodology

| 4Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

They gathered data using Rival IQ’s cross-channel

ranking capability, as well as channel-specific

rankings for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The

cross-channel (or overall) ranking is influenced by

engagement on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Engagement is defined as measurable interaction

on social media posts, including likes, comments,

favorites, retweets, shares, and reactions.

Rankings were computed using a weighted score of

audience, activity, and engagement (with a strong bias

toward engagement). There's a fancy formula behind it

all, but you can trust us—we have calculators.

Using this data and weighted formula, Rival IQ

generated an overall engagement ranking for each

school. The highest ranking universities have high

engagement rates with average or better audience size

and posting volumes.

When it comes to engagement, especially on Instagram

and Twitter, higher education accounts outperform

the benchmark set by non-education social media

accounts with similar audiences. So they must be

doing something right. What are the top-performing

schools doing to drive engagement rates?

Rival IQ used their software to analyze social media posts from 338 Division 1 higher ed institutions, looking at university-level account posts from June 2015 through May 2016.

methodology

| 5Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

This report will give you a rundown of the overall top-ranking schools by cross-channel, as well as the top 10 per channel, with examples and best practices that we hope you can learn from.

methodology

Let’s start with the overall, cross-channel ranking.

Drumroll, please…

| 6Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

OVERALL

top 10 ranking colleges

Ranking based on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram

Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement ReportUp&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report | 7

top 10 ranking collegesOVERALL

01. NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY SOCIAL AUDIENCE

318K

388K

89K

200K

97K

40K

130K

360K

877K

SOCIAL ACTIVITY

2.1K

1.5K

1.3K

1.4K

3.2K

1.5K

918

1.3K

2.7K

02. CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

03. U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

04. UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

05. SAINT JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY

06. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

07. JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

08. U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY

09. GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

10. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

320K1.9K

| 8Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

top 10 schoolsFACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

| 9Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

top 10 schoolsFACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

01. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PAGE LIKE COUNT

124K

556K

277K

51K

72K

155K

169K

439K

82K

104K

POST COUNT

505

403

656

371

749

538

1033

361

655

409

02. COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

03. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

04. U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY

05. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

06. NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY

07. CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

08. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

09. WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

10. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

| 10Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

best practices from top performers

FACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

| 11

The U.S. Military Academy ranks #8 overall and #4 on Facebook. Here’s an example of the kind of post that drives (rightly so) a huge amount of engagement.

This moving photo exhibits top-notch photojournalism

as it shows tremendous respect to a graduating

soldier. They tagged the U.S. Army (which has over 4

million likes), and it received over 750 comments, and

over 11,500 shares.

best practices from top performersFACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

West Point - The U.S. Military AcademyMay 24

24K Likes 758 Comments 11K Shares

No greater feeling than that of accomplishment! #DutyHonorCountry(U.S. Army photo by: Staff Sgt. Vito T. Bryant)

Like Page

| 12

Another best practice is focusing on finding content that just begs to be shared. The University of Utah nailed it with this breathtaking Facebook timelapse video of a rainbow moving across a local landscape.

Utah is ranked #3 overall and #15 on Facebook,

and this type of content is a big reason why. Video

continues to be king for engagement on social,

especially easily shareable videos like this one.

best practices from top performersFACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

The University of UtahMay 20

2.2M Views

15K Likes 525 Comments 27K Shares

This one almost broke the internet. Courtesy of Dan Pope and Blue Lemon. #fbf

Like Page

| 13

You might be thinking, “Of course, they have a huge audience. What about us? We’re a small private school.” Don’t worry, you don’t have to be big to get huge engagement.Quinnipiac University, a private university in Hamden, Connecticut, ranked #13 on Facebook and #28 overall.

They took full advantage of their #1 ranked college

hockey team, documenting their journey all the way

to the National Championship game. Athletics are a

natural engagement booster, so take full advantage of

your school’s super fans.

best practices from top performersFACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

Quinnipiac UniversityApril 9

610 Likes 167 Comments 59 Shares

With less than an hour until the start of the NCAA National Championship Game, let's show America how strong and enthusiastic #BobcatNation is! Tell us from where you will be cheering! Let's see how many states and countries we can paint Bobcat Gold. Throughout the game, capture your most enthusiastic friends and family and post their photos below -- and be sure to share crowd reactions! The clips may be used in an upcoming feature. Watch the game live at 8 p.m. on ESPN 2!

Like Page

| 14

But Quinnipiac is more than just hockey, as you can tell in a high-performing Facebook video. While typical “drone shots of beautiful campus with sentimental music” videos can stray into cliché, this one hits the right notes, letting the campus speak for itself instead of boilerplate “it all starts here” voiceover.

best practices from top performersFACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

Quinnipiac UniversityMarch 23

300K Views

2.4K Likes 108 Comments 1.4K Shares

We are proud to provide the tools to develop extraordinarily well-prepared graduates -- with our 400 world-renowned faculty and an eclectic mix of nearly 100 undergraduate, graduate, law and medical degree programs to a dynamic alumni network surpassing 30,000 members and three of the most beautiful campuses in America. "Nature has given us the seeds of knowledge, not knowledge itself," Seneca wrote. We help nurture those seeds to ensure a fruitful, life-long harvest.

Inspiring nostalgia, camaraderie, and school pride, it

drew students, alums, parents of current & future

students, and employees to comment how proud

they were to have Quinnipiac as part of their lives. It

garnered 300K views, nearly 1500 shares, and over

100 comments. Facebook is a natural hub for a wide

audience and continues to push video as the best type

of content to post, so this type of content is perfect.

Like Page

| 15

Campbell University in North Carolina is a small private Christian university with solid engagement. They ranked #27 on Facebook and #30 overall. This recent Facebook video is a great example of seizing a timely moment and maximizing its impact.

best practices from top performersFACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT

Combining high production value with a message that

aligns with their mission, the video has over 68K views

and over 1,000 shares.

Campbell UniversityApril 27

69K Views

769 Likes 39 Comments 1K Shares

"A Campbell education is not a transaction; it is a transformational learning experience that changes lives."

Our new video about Campbell University shaped by President Creed's inaugural address a few weeks ago.

Like Page

| 16Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

top 10 schoolsTWITTER ENGAGEMENT

| 17Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

01. NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY FOLLOWER COUNT

53.6K

43.7K

11.5K

40.1K

23.4K

25.2K

70.7K

58.3K

35.4K

85.4K

TWEET COUNT

1.6K

364

815

393

2.4K

627

783

910

395

821

02. UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

03. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

04. SAINT JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY

05. UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

06. U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY

07. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

08. TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

09. JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

10. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, COLUMBIA

top 10 schoolsTWITTER ENGAGEMENT

| 18Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

best practices from top performers

TWITTER ENGAGEMENT

| 19

If you’re looking for a school’s social media strategy to emulate, you might want to start with Northern Arizona University. They ranked #1 overall, #1 on Twitter, #6 on Facebook, and #1 on Instagram.

Here’s an example of a tweet that does a beautiful

job of accomplishing multiple purposes & garnering

engagement

In one tweet, they’ve promoted their location,

worked on dispelling the “Arizona’s a barren desert”

misconception, used a beautiful image with a classy

text effect, and used a memorable hashtag. 85

retweets & 173 likes later...well played, NAU.

best practices from top performersTWITTER ENGAGEMENT

NAU@NAU

Yes, this is Arizona too. #NotallDesert

Follow

| 20

Jacksonville State University in Alabama ranked #19 for Twitter engagement. They followed the best practice of riding the wave of “what’s trending” with their own school spirit-infused play on #MayThe4thBeWithYou:

Harnessing the power of current events, whether real

or “Internet events,” is a best practice to keep in mind.

Look ahead at your calendar to plan what creative

you might need, and if you’re wondering who to get

involved, ask around & you might just discover a super

pop culture fan (like this Star Wars fan) eager to get

involved.

best practices from top performersTWITTER ENGAGEMENT

JSUNews@JSUNews

May the Fourth Be With You, Gamecocks! #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay

Follow

| 21

Wofford College, a small independent liberal arts college in Spartanburg, SC with around 1,600 students, ranked at #36 for Twitter engagement, showing again you don’t need a huge audience for large engagement.

This tweet is a great example of a social media

principle we like to call “it’s not about us."

They’re giving well-deserved public praise to their

faculty & staff. That goes a long way in promoting

loyalty and school pride.

best practices from top performersTWITTER ENGAGEMENT

Wofford College@WoffordCollege

From 5 to over 60 years, tonight Wofford celebrated faculty & staff. Thanks for your service!

Follow

| 22

South Dakota State came in at #28 on Twitter, and they show their savvy by connecting with future classes before they even step on campus:

By engaging with the incoming class, they’re already

connecting with the next generation of lifelong

ambassadors, and showing prospective students that

they’re more than a number.

best practices from top performersTWITTER ENGAGEMENT

South Dakota State@SDState

We can't wait to welcome our #newjacks16 to the #sdstate family!!! http://ift.tt/1VXDaXX

Follow

| 23Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

top 10 schoolsINSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

| 24Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

01. NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY FOLLOWER COUNT

39K

84K

48K

26.3K

20.4K

14.8K

28.7K

13.2K

41.9K

19.7K

POST COUNT

291

449

288

169

392

235

397

295

324

272

02. U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

03. CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

04. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL

05. UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

06. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

07. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

08. THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

09. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

10. CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY

top 10 schoolsINSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

| 25Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

best practices from top performers

INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

| 26

Clemson University ranks #2 overall, #11 on Twitter, #7 on Facebook and #3 on Instagram. Their social presence helps keep the nation’s most engaged alumni base plugged in. Their Instagram feed is full of beautiful shots of campus and Lake Hartwell:

Campus beauty is always good for engagement, since

it inspires that “I belong” feeling and stirs nostalgia

for current students and alums. It’s also great for

prospective students to see where they could spend

the next 4+ years, and it gets enrolled students saying

“I can’t wait to go there!”

best practices from top performersINSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

clemsonuniversityClemson University

clemsonuniversity There is just something in these hills...

#clemson #clemsonuniversity #campus #beautiful #sunset #orange #clouds #sky #southcarolina #sc #college #university #graduation #classof2016 #ClemsonGrad -- A huge thank you to @_dupre for this beautiful photo!

Follow

5,194 likes 7w

| 27

Ranked #10 on Instagram, California State Polytechnic Institute (“Cal Poly”) drives engagement with another best practice: guest posting. Students see their friends taking over and are more motivated to interact.

It also provides a perspective that you might not

see otherwise, and those first-person stories make

connections to prospects, alumni and beyond.

best practices from top performersINSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

calpolyCalifornia Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)

calpoly Guest Instagrammer // Tony Tran // @tonytran.ig

Moving from a busy city to the Central Coast can be a big change for anyone. What amazes me about this town is its ability to coexist with its natural surroundings. It’s allowed me to appreciate aspects of life that I would otherwise not have cared for if I had not moved here.There is adventure waiting for you in every direction in San Luis Obispo and even after four years I still find myself discovering new places everyday!

#CalPoly #CalPolyNow #CalPolyProud

Follow

1,326 likes 3w

| 28

With around 6,000 in enrollment, Elon University is another example of a smaller school excelling in engagement. They ranked #12 on Instagram, #28 on Facebook, and #27 overall.

This post is a great example of staying connected with

your students during the summer. It inspires nostalgia

and reminds them they’re the heart of your school.

best practices from top performersINSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

elonuniversityElon University

elonuniversity Alright, everyone can come back now. #WeMissOurStudents

Follow

1,469 likes 5w

| 29

Davidson College, a private school in North Carolina with about 2,000 in enrollment, came in at #30 on Instagram. They’re a good example of another good idea: making the most of famous alums.

Nothing wrong with that! In Davidson’s case, you might

have heard of this guy.

best practices from top performersINSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

894 likes 7w

davidsoncollege Congratulations to @stephencurry30! Back-to-back and first-ever unanimous NBA #MVP! You continue to make your wildcat family extremely proud! #itsagreatdaytobeawildcat #repost @espn

Followdavidsoncollege

Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report | 30

where do you rank?

| 31Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

Unlocking better social media engagement doesn’t

have to be a mysterious dark cloud of algorithms.

We hope this report helps you gather insights from

top performers that will help you push social media

engagement through the roof.

Curious where your school might be ranked? Click here to see the full higher ed social media engagement report.

where do you rank?

| 32Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

We’ve been lucky enough to work with a great group

of higher ed institutions over the last 15 years. To

us, higher education marketing is more than just

getting new freshmen through the doors on move-in

day or getting more alumni to join a Facebook page.

Connecting the right student to the right school not

only provides someone the perfect college experience,

but it also makes them fans for life. This isn’t marketing

for the next four years. It’s marketing for the next forty.

Up&Up is a higher ed marketing agency in Greenville, SC that’s committed to impacting the world through the good our clients do.

Learn more atupandup.agency

| 33Up&Up + Rival IQ | Social Media Engagement Report

Our goal is to equip you with a toolkit so you can

uncover new opportunities, identify trends, and track

results across all major social channels and the web.

The insights in our reports help you set tangible

benchmarks, make data-driven marketing decisions,

improve results, and better understand competitors.

Rival IQ delivers digital marketing analytics with a competitive and comparative context.

Learn more atrivaliq.com

social media engagement report

HIGHER ED

PRESENTED BY